Building construction



Sept. 5, 1939. c. B. ROBBINS BU'ILDING couswkuc'rxom Filed 001;. 24, I938 ATTORNEY.

A. A? i Patented Sept. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION ration of Galifornia Application October 24, 1938, Serial No. 236,707

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in building constructions.

The conventional concrete building blocks now commonly used in the fabrication of wall structures are designed primarily to provide left-inplace forms adapted to hold vertical columns of thermal insulating material. Wall structures made with concrete building blocks of this particular type have several disadvantages, the most objectionable of which is that their construction or design does not provide for adequate internal reenforcing. It is well known that a mass of concrete cast as a unitary structure is considerably stronger than an equal mass made up of a number of pre-cast units, and since it is not possible with the concrete building blocks now commonly used, to construct a wall having a unitary and integrally formed concrete structure throughout, the load-bearing properties of such a wall are not adequate to meet certain building requirements.

Overcoming these disadvantages I have provided an improved building block of novel shape and construction having internal spaces for holding thermal insulating material as well as concrete and steel rod reenforcements.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved rectangular-shaped building block having an open top and an open bottom, and provided internally with cells or spaces for holding a section of concrete material, a section of thermal insulating material and a section of water-proofing material.

Other and further objects of my invention will be pointed out hereinafter, indicated in the appended claims, or will be obvious to one skilled in the art upon an understanding of the present disclosure. For the purpose of this application I have elected to show herein certain forms and details of building blocks and wall structures representative of my invention; it is to be understood, however, that the embodiments of my invention herein shown and described are for purposes of illustration only, and that therefore they are not to be regarded as exhaustive of the variations of the invention, nor are they to be given interpretations such as might have the effect of limiting the claims, short of the true and most comprehensive scope of the invention in the art.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a building block embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view ofa partly fabricated wall made from a number of the blocks illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a wall constructed in accordance with my invention, showing a portion thereof broken away and in vertical section;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a building block embodying a modified construction in which a space is provided for moisture-proofing material; and

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of a portion of the completed wall, taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5 of the drawing, the numeral I designates a foursided rectangular-shaped block made preferably from concrete and so proportioned that two of its opposed parallel sides 2 and 3 are substantially longer than its two parallel ends 4 and 5. The interior of the block is divided lengthwise by a longitudinally disposed partition 6 which is positioned in parallel relation to the longer sides 2 and 3 into two spaces, cells or compartments 1 and 8 which are both open at their top and bottom sides. While the spaces 1 and 8 are preferably of the same dimensions, their widths may vary relative to one another by having the partition 6 positioned closer to or farther from either of the sides 2 or 3.

In fabricating a wall in accordance with my invention, the,blocks l are arranged in overlapping formation one above another with the ends of one block positioned midway between the ends of a block located directly beneath it, as illustrated in: Figs. 2 and 3. Reenforcing steel rods 9 are thereupon positioned in the aligned spaces 1 of the blocks in such a manner that certain of them. are disposed in vertical positions and others are inclined or slanted, as shown in Fig. 3. The dimensions of the spaces 1 of the blocks being such that their widths are considerably less than their lengths, enables certain of the steel rods 9 to assume diagonal or slanting positions, thereby providing a reenforcing structure which possesses improved load-carrying properties. After the reenforcing rods are placed as aforesaid, the interconnected spaces 1 throughout the height, length and breadth of the wall are filled with concrete or other suitable material. When the concrete has hardened in the usual manner, a unitary and integrally connected concrete structure l0, reenforced by vertical and inclined steel rods 9, is provided throughout the length and breadth of the wall. The interconnected spaces 8 of the block are next filled with a suitable thermal insulating material I0.

As illustrated in Fig. 4 my invention may assume a modified form in which a third space is provided for receiving a suitable moistureproof material. Since cement will not prevent moisture from passing through it, it is sometimes advisable to provide means for making the concrete Walls of a building structure impervious to water. By providing the block I with a second longitudinal partition 6, a narrow space H is formed for receiving suitable moisture-proof material such as tar. When blocks of the kind illustrated in Fig. 4 are employed in a wall structure, a vertical section of water-proof material may be embodied as a part thereof.

Since the concrete structure 10 is interconnected in every direction throughout the wall, thereby adequately reenforcing the latter, the sides, ends, and partition of the blocks may be of considerably less thickness than is the case with concrete building blocks now commonly used.

Having described my invention what I claim is: 1. In a masonry wall, a series of rectangular four-sided blocks, each closed at its ends, each open at its top and bottom, and each having a plurality of separated longitudinal cells which are each open at its top and bottom, the said blocks being superimposed one upon another and arranged in overlapping positions so that the ends of one block are positioned across the centers of the two particular blocks upon which it rests, the said blocks when so arranged providing a plurality of laterally enclosed vertical spaces disposed in separated and parallel relation to one another, a body of cement positioned in one of the vertical spaces, and a body of insulating material positioned in another of the vertical spaces.

2. In a masonry Wall, a series of rectangular four-sided blocks, each closed at its ends, each entirely open at its top and bottom, and each having a plurality of longitudinal separated cells provided therein, the said blocks being superimposed one upon another and arranged in overlapping positions so that the opposite ends of one block are positioned above the central parts of the two adjacent blocks supporting it, the said blocks when so arranged providing two vertical material reeciving forms each comprising a series of interconnected cells, a body of reenforcing concrete material located in one of the forms and a body insulating material located in the other of the forms.

3. In a masonry wall, a series of rectangular four-sided blocks, each open at its top and bottom and each being divided interiorly into two longitudinally disposed cells by a longitudinal partition disposed in parallel relation to the long sides of the block, the said blocks being superimposed one upon another and arranged in overlapping positions so that the opposite ends of one block are positioned above the central parts of the two adjacent blocks supporting it, the said blocks when so arranged providing two vertical material holding forms each comprising a series of interconnected cells, a body of concrete material located in one of the forms, a series of slanting reenforcing members imbedded in the concrete material, and a body of insulating material located in the other form.

CARL B. ROBBINS. 

